Chapter 3: Problem 35
Find the limits. $$ \lim _{x \rightarrow+\infty}\left(\sqrt{x^{2}+x}-x\right) $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The limit is \( \frac{1}{2} \).
Step by step solution
01
Understanding the Problem
We need to find the limit of the expression \( \lim _{x \rightarrow+\infty}(\sqrt{x^{2}+x}-x) \). As \( x \to +\infty \), both the terms \( \sqrt{x^2 + x} \) and \( x \) become very large, so we need to simplify the expression to find the limit.
02
Simplifying the Expression
Consider the expression \( \sqrt{x^2+x} \). We can factor \( x^2 \) out of the square root: \[ \sqrt{x^2+x} = \sqrt{x^2(1+\frac{1}{x})} = x\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}}. \]Substituting back into the limit, we have\[ \lim_{x \to +\infty} \left( x\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} - x \right). \]
03
Factoring Out x
Factor \( x \) out of the difference:\[ \lim_{x \to +\infty} x \left( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} - 1 \right). \]As \( x \to +\infty \), the term \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \) can be expanded using the binomial series for small \( \frac{1}{x} \).
04
Applying Binomial Expansion
Using the binomial expansion for \( \sqrt{1+u} \approx 1 + \frac{u}{2} \) where \( u = \frac{1}{x} \), we get:\[ \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \approx 1 + \frac{1}{2x}. \]Substituting back gives:\[ \lim_{x \to +\infty} x \left( \left(1 + \frac{1}{2x}\right) - 1 \right) = \lim_{x \to +\infty} x \left( \frac{1}{2x} \right) = \lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{2}. \]
05
Evaluating the Limit
The expression evaluates to \( \frac{1}{2} \) as the term \( \frac{x}{2x} = \frac{1}{2} \) when \( x \rightarrow +\infty \). Thus, the limit is \( \frac{1}{2} \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Asymptotic Behavior
Asymptotic behavior is a concept used in calculus to describe the behavior of functions as the input values become very large or approach a specific point. This concept is particularly useful in limit problems like the one provided. For the expression \( \lim _{x \rightarrow+\infty}(\sqrt{x^{2}+x}-x) \), as \( x \to +\infty \), identifying the asymptotic behavior helps determine how each component of the expression behaves.
In our limit problem, both \( \sqrt{x^2 + x} \) and \( x \) grow very large as \( x \to +\infty \). However, the crucial part is understanding how their relative sizes affect the overall expression's limit:
In our limit problem, both \( \sqrt{x^2 + x} \) and \( x \) grow very large as \( x \to +\infty \). However, the crucial part is understanding how their relative sizes affect the overall expression's limit:
- Asymptotically, \( \sqrt{x^2 + x} \) behaves almost like \( x \), since \( x^2 \) dominates over \( x \). Therefore, \( \sqrt{x^2 + x} \approx x\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \).
- By factoring and simplification, we are left with a term that becomes dominant, often a smaller change when compared to the largest term in the expression.
- This step reveals the limit’s true asymptotic behavior, allowing us to further simplify the expression and ultimately find the limit accurately.
Binomial Expansion
Binomial expansion plays a significant role in simplifying expressions, especially when dealing with terms of the form \( \sqrt{1+u} \) for small values of \( u \). In the limit expression \( \lim_{x \to +\infty} (x\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} - x) \), we use binomial expansion to break down \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \).
Using binomial expansion, we can approximate \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \) as:
Using binomial expansion, we can approximate \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \) as:
- \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \approx 1 + \frac{1}{2x} \) since \( \frac{1}{x} \) is very small when \( x \to +\infty \).
- This expansion is derived from the general binomial series: \( (1+u)^n \approx 1 + nu \) when \( u \) is close to 0 and \( n = \frac{1}{2} \) in our case.
- The simplification is crucial because it allows us to better handle the complex term \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \).
Square Root Simplification
Square root simplification is an effective mathematical tool for manipulating complex expressions that involve square roots. In our problem, we simplify \( \sqrt{x^2+x} \) to make the limit evaluation straightforward.
Here’s how the simplification is achieved:
Here’s how the simplification is achieved:
- We start by noticing that \( x^2 \) is the dominant term in \( x^2 + x \). So we can factor it out: \( \sqrt{x^2+x} = \sqrt{x^2(1+\frac{1}{x})} \).
- This further simplifies to \( x\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \), which is easier to handle since \( \sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x}} \) can be approximated by the binomial expansion.
- By reducing the expression to a product involving \( x \) and the simplified term, it becomes much simpler to evaluate the limit as \( x \rightarrow +\infty \).